New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-20
4 prrlxIrIov OF LITERATURE.

Definitions Il hons il not too rash 10 sdT so
always appear in these things To bc IN The nature
of "A VANITY and | feel here that the attc'n,t I be
cnmcact in the dci milton OF literature ends IN somc-
thing that Il rather meaprc, partial, starved and ui
satisfactory | turn TO the answer owen ny great
French writer to question not quite the Samc-yH'
/. What is u classic = Literature consists OF wLoc
body OF classic, in tho true sense of tie word, aud
c,assic. as shond Il &c TO see hun dchncd. - an
anihor who hrs enriched the human mind. who has
re ,Iv added strea=ures who has got oascasie
further who has discovered unrquiy Deal moral
truth or has penetrated 10 eternal passion in hat
heart OF where II seemed as though all was
known and explored. Who has produced bis tho1gnt
OF his observation or his invention under -ome form;
matter Thai. 30 II be great, large, acute ana
reasonable, sane and beautiful in u~cf VINO has
spoken all in style OF his own, yet style winch
finds itself the style 81 every nody, u style which -
nj once new aud a. iiquc, and Is toe contemporary OF
all he agos." At n SIM reading You may not take al
that n but If should have any oppori ami OF r.
currinr tu il Won viii ind thi, satisfactory, in
and instructive account oi what Is classic. and VII
find il, If tull ana factory account Of what those
WHO have thought most ltera IRE hope To get FRO
# ana most would desire To confer upon Others y H.
Literature consists Of all the books and they not
many-wnere moral fruth ana human passion aIe
touched with "a certain largr.ess, sanity AID attraction
and my notion OF the literary student II one
who through books Plorcs the strange voyages d
mans moral u, the impulses al IN" human l'aIl
the chances and chan! that have overinken human
ideas of virtue dul happiucss of conduct AMI man
uer and the shifting fortunes Of great conceptions OF
ruth aud virtue. Poets. dramat-t.. humoris;,
saiiri-s masters oi fiction, the great icac err. the
character Nrcre. the maxim writers. the great poi;-
caI Orators they all literature IN 80 TAR ~ they
teach us TO know man and TO know h"inan nature:
This il what makes literature RI -htly Eiitcd aud
selected aud ugthly stud eel, not tbe mere elegant
triiine th-t IL l. 80 often aud erf'n'onsY supposed
but proper instrument Tor IS matte uainE 81
the imagination aud sympatles and OF . genial aud
varied moral sen-Ibility.
From hi. roi,. oi view let NE remind you that
poors aIc lot Ia, products ~ atcId,u' and clpfI
Their, i. an order t.crc cal-cs and fciat ons.
There are icla IONS between trc great COMPOSITIONS
aud the societies from which they have emerged aud
| would put 1t IN this way TO Won. that 1si as the
naturalist s,iv~s unGerstand and to explain The
distribution OF Giants and animals over the surface
of the globe connect thcr pTcicc then absence
with great geological. climatic and oceinic change,
20 the student of literature u hc d. Wise. VII get
survey ot ideas OF tnstes sentiments of Imagination
OF hn nor OF invention, they Affect ana a, thrT ate
aaccted by the ever changed experiences OF human
nature aud the manifold variations time and err
cumstanccs necessarily working IN human 80
cicty.